Unpacking the Roots: Capitalism, Imperialism, and the Misinterpretation of Marxism

From timing 24:35 Candace Owens’s interpretation of Marxism as a theory promoting societal manipulation, cultural suppression, and elite dominance doesn’t align with what Marxism truly stands for.

Marxism, in its essence, critiques capitalism’s inequalities and envisions a society where people are free from exploitation. It’s about understanding the economic roots of social issues, not about dividing or controlling the population. Understanding these differences is crucial for a more accurate discussion of Marxism’s principles and objectives.

Marxism vs. Societal Manipulation

  • Owens’s View: She suggests Marxism aims to control and divide people.
  • Actual Marxism: It’s about understanding how economic systems, especially capitalism, naturally lead to class differences and conflicts. Marxism doesn’t advocate for manipulating society but explains how economic conditions influence social structures. Moreover, if we go further and touch on socialist ideology, it calls for erasing class inequality and uniting people.

Education, Media, and “Cultural Marxism”

  • Owens’s View: She talks about “cultural Marxism” ruining education and media by stifling creativity.
  • Actual Marxism: The term “cultural Marxism” isn’t part of classic Marxist theory. Marx focused on economic issues and believed in freeing people from the constraints of capitalism to unleash their full potential, not suppressing thought or creativity. Under socialism, education is free and open.

Economic Motives Behind Wars

  • Owens’s View: She links Marxism to elite-driven wars for control.
  • Actual Marxism: While Marxism looks at economic reasons behind wars, it criticizes the capitalist system’s expansion and exploitation, not a secretive elite plotting wars for dominance.

The Elite and Control

  • Owens’s View: She claims Marxist principles are about government control over people.
  • Actual Marxism: Marx’s goal was to end class-based society and exploitation, aiming for a world where resources are shared. Marxism criticizes the concentration of power and wealth under capitalism, not advocating for government control to oppress people.

Marxism isn’t about societal manipulation or elite-driven control as suggested. At its core, Marxism analyzes how economic systems, particularly capitalism, naturally lead to class conflicts, aiming to understand and ultimately change this dynamic towards a more equitable society.

The concept of ‘cultural Marxism’ that’s mentioned doesn’t originate from Marx himself. Marx focused on economic disparities and aimed for a society where individuals could achieve their full potential, free from the alienation and exploitation inherent in capitalism. This is quite different from the idea of stifling creativity or thought through education and media.

Moreover, linking Marxism to the economic motives behind wars overlooks Marx’s critique of imperialism and colonialism as outcomes of capitalist expansion, not a secretive elite’s machinations for global control.

And about the point on government control — Marx’s vision was about dismantling the class-based hierarchy of capitalism, not about a government enforcing control over its populace. His critique was against the concentration of power and wealth, advocating for a society where resources and power are democratically managed by the community.

It’s vital to engage with the actual principles of Marxism for a constructive debate. The portrayal of Marxism as a tool for division and control seems to stray from its foundational goals of understanding and addressing the inequalities and injustices rooted in capitalist societies.

I think Candace is not deliberately trying to misrepresent the concept of Marxism, because overall the video raised important topics. It’s just that, as is typical in American society, there are a lot of lacks of understanding of basic political-economic terminologies and theories.

Fair Wages: The Synergistic Alliance of Masters, Educators and Researchers

In today’s capitalist environment, where conventional structures often lead to unequal compensation and lack of recognition for intellectual labor, this model presents an innovative and ethical approach. It not only ensures fair compensation but also fosters collaboration, creativity, and sustainable growth within educational and research platforms.

The current capitalist system tends to undervalue the work of educators, researchers, and workers in general. It allows those who own companies or control resources to earn huge profits while paying minimal wages to those who actually do the work, who creates a value of a product itself! This leads to a situation where workers struggle to make a decent living, lack job security, and find it hard to save money.

A way out of this unequal setup is to consider a different approach where the ownership of companies or resources isn’t in the hands of a few individuals but is collectively shared. This would mean that instead of aiming for personal profit, the main goal would be to benefit society as a whole.

Under this system, workers, including teachers and researchers, would receive fair pay for their efforts and have better living conditions. The focus would be on ensuring that everyone has stability, security, and a decent quality of life, rather than just a few individuals amassing enormous wealth at the expense of everyone else.

The aim here is to create a more balanced and fair system where the contributions of all individuals to society are recognized and rewarded appropriately, ensuring a better life for everyone.

How it explains Marxism?

From a Marxist perspective, the current capitalist system perpetuates inequalities in compensation and fails to provide adequate social protections for workers, including educators and researchers. This system allows those who own and control the means of production to accumulate vast wealth by exploiting the collective labor of workers while offering meager compensation in return.

The discrepancy between what an average worker earns in comparison to the profits extracted by capitalists highlights the inherent exploitation within capitalism. While the worker struggles to make ends meet and lacks stability due to the unpredictable nature of their employment, the capitalist accrues vast wealth through the surplus value extracted from the labor of workers.

Marxist ideology advocates for collective ownership of the means of production, where the focus shifts from individual profit-seeking to the benefit of society as a whole. In such a system, the primary goal is the equitable distribution of resources and the betterment of society, rather than the accumulation of wealth by a privileged few.

Workers, including teachers and researchers, should receive fair compensation for their labor and have access to decent living conditions without having to engage in constant struggle merely to meet basic needs. The emphasis lies in providing security, stability, and dignified standards of living for all contributors to society, rather than perpetuating a system that prioritizes the selfish interests of a select few at the expense of the majority.

Marxist principles assert that by restructuring the economic system to prioritize collective ownership and equitable distribution of resources, society can move towards a more just and fair arrangement where workers, including educators and researchers, are no longer exploited but rather valued and adequately compensated for their contributions to the collective wealth of society.

How to heal the system given the new possibilities of digital technology?

What models and methods would help create a fair system in the modern era of the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution?

  1. Decentralized Platforms: Utilize blockchain technology to create decentralized platforms where ownership, decision-making, and profits are distributed among contributors. This ensures transparency, removes intermediaries, and allows for fairer compensation mechanisms.
  2. Remote Work and Education: Embrace remote work and online education, allowing wider access to job opportunities and learning resources. This can democratize access to employment and education, reducing geographical limitations.
  3. AI and Automation: Implement AI and automation to handle repetitive tasks, freeing up human resources for more creative and higher-value work. This could lead to increased efficiency and potentially allow for shorter work hours or increased leisure time.
  4. Data for Fair Compensation: Use data analytics to accurately measure contributions and impact within collaborative platforms. This can ensure fair compensation based on actual input and value added.
  5. Platform Cooperatives: Foster the growth of platform cooperatives, where users or workers collectively own and manage digital platforms. This model can ensure democratic decision-making and fairer distribution of profits.
  6. Digital Currency and Micropayments: Explore digital currencies and micropayment systems to facilitate fair and instant transactions. This could enable direct and immediate compensation for small contributions or services.
  7. Skill Development and Lifelong Learning: Leverage digital technology for accessible and continuous skill development. This empowers individuals to adapt to changing job markets and contribute meaningfully to various platforms.
  8. Open-Source Collaboration: Promote open-source collaboration, where knowledge, software, and innovations are freely shared. This fosters a culture of cooperation and collective growth.
  9. Community Building and Support Networks: Use digital platforms to build supportive communities and networks. These spaces can offer mentorship, guidance, and resources to individuals, fostering a sense of belonging and solidarity.
  10. Data Privacy and Ethical Tech Use: Prioritize data privacy and ethical use of technology to protect individuals and ensure that digital advancements benefit society without infringing on personal rights.

Innovative Compensation Strategies for Educators and Researchers in Collaborative Platforms

Let’s keep brainstorming and create a comprehensive list outlines cutting-edge strategies designed to revolutionize compensation frameworks for educators and researchers engaged in collaborative platforms.

These strategies emphasize fairness, transparency, and sustainability, aiming to ensure that contributors receive equitable recognition and reward for their valuable contributions. From profit-sharing models to the utilization of blockchain technology and AI-driven recognition systems, these methods offer diverse approaches to fairly compensate individuals based on their impact and involvement within the platform.

Additionally, concepts like cooperative ownership, gamified collaboration, and impact investment models aim to foster a community-centric approach, encouraging engagement, ownership, and sustainable growth within collaborative spaces. These innovative strategies collectively aim to reshape compensation paradigms, prioritizing fair remuneration and fostering a conducive environment for the advancement of education and research.

  1. Profit-Sharing Models: This approach involves distributing a portion of the profits earned by the educational platform or product/service among the educators and researchers based on their contributions. It ensures that as the platform succeeds financially, those involved in its creation share in that success.
  2. Transparent Metrics for Contributions: Creating clear and measurable criteria to evaluate the contributions of educators and researchers. For instance, metrics could include the number of articles created, engagement metrics like views or interactions, software development input, or any other measurable factors relevant to the platform’s success.
  3. Subscription-Based Compensation: Directly allocating a portion of subscription fees collected from users to compensate educators and researchers. This ensures that their compensation is directly tied to the platform’s popularity and growth.
  4. Donation & Support Channels: Providing avenues for users or supporters who value the educators’ and researchers’ work to donate or support them directly. This could be through crowdfunding, tip jars, or support from philanthropic organizations interested in promoting education and research.
  5. Tokenized Contribution System: Utilizing blockchain technology to create a system where educators and researchers earn tokens for their contributions. These tokens represent their work and can be exchanged for various benefits within the platform or even converted into traditional currency.
  6. AI-Driven Contribution Recognition: Implementing AI algorithms to automatically recognize and value contributions across various aspects of the platform, ensuring fair compensation for diverse inputs without biases or oversight issues.
  7. Equitable Revenue Distribution: Moving away from traditional compensation models that rely solely on factors like seniority or academic titles, and instead basing compensation on the actual impact and engagement generated by an individual’s work on the platform.
  8. Incentive Programs: Offering bonuses or incentives for exceptional performance or contributions that significantly enhance the platform’s quality, attract more users, or innovate its offerings.
  9. Diversified Revenue Streams: Exploring various income streams beyond subscriptions, such as affiliate programs, partnerships, sponsored content, or merchandise. Ensuring that revenue from these sources contributes to the fair compensation of educators and researchers.
  10. Community Engagement: Fostering a community around the platform that appreciates and values the work of educators and researchers. Engaged communities are more likely to support the creators directly through donations, feedback, or collaboration opportunities.
  11. Collective Decision-Making: Involving educators and researchers in the decision-making process regarding compensation models. This ensures that their insights and needs are considered, leading to a system that aligns with their expectations and motivations.
  12. Long-Term Sustainability: Designing a compensation system that not only focuses on immediate fairness but also ensures the long-term sustainability of the platform. This includes planning for future growth, stability, and continued support for the educators and researchers involved.
  13. Impact Investment Model: Partnering with impact investors who support education and research. They provide funding in exchange for a percentage of future platform revenues, which directly contributes to fair compensation for contributors.
  14. Gamified Collaboration: Implementing game-like elements where educators and researchers earn points, badges, or levels based on their contributions and impact. These virtual rewards could translate into tangible benefits or recognition within the platform.
  15. Cooperative Ownership: Establishing a cooperative ownership model where educators and researchers have collective ownership stakes in the platform. As the platform grows, dividends are shared among the stakeholders.
  16. Data Monetization Sharing: If the platform generates valuable data, contributors could receive a share of profits from selling or licensing anonymized and aggregated data, ensuring contributors benefit from the platform’s data-driven success.
  17. Future Revenue Options: Allowing contributors to reinvest their earnings back into the platform, potentially leading to higher returns in the future, creating a cycle of investment and growth.
  18. Social Impact Partnerships: Collaborating with organizations focused on social impact. Creating joint initiatives where a portion of revenue generated from such partnerships goes into a fund for fair compensation for contributors.

Building Fairer Foundations: Expert Voices in Societal Transformation

Creating a fair system doesn’t necessarily require being a super powerful investor; it’s about leveraging talents and collaborating with like-minded individuals to influence change. Here’s how individuals with expertise in various fields can contribute to creating a fairer society:

  1. Collaborate and Network: Connecting with individuals who share similar values and objectives is essential for pooling talents and resources. Collective efforts amplify the impact of individual contributions, allowing for a more influential and unified push for change.
  2. Contribute to Innovative Projects: Individuals possessing expertise in various fields, such as development, design, research, or education, play crucial roles in projects aimed at societal improvement. Their involvement in initiatives focusing on fairness and societal well-being is pivotal for driving impactful change.
  3. Advocate for Fair Practices: Those knowledgeable in specific industries or fields have the capacity to advocate for fair compensation and ethical standards. Participation in discussions, writing articles, or engaging in activism helps promote equitable systems within their respective spheres.
  4. Support Ethical Businesses and Platforms: Choosing to engage with or endorse businesses and platforms prioritizing fairness and social responsibility contributes to shifting market demands toward ethical practices, fostering a broader industry change.
  5. Innovate and Propose Solutions: Individuals proficient in various fields can leverage their skills to propose inventive solutions fostering fairness and equality. Their creativity and expertise are instrumental in driving tangible changes, whether through new platform designs or innovative economic models.
  6. Educate and EmpowerOthers: Educators and experts have a significant role in imparting knowledge about the importance of fairness in society. Empowering individuals with actionable insights enables them to contribute meaningfully to the creation of a fairer system.
  7. Engage n Collective Action: Supporting or participating in movements advocating for systemic change amplifies the collective voice striving for societal transformation towards fairness and equality.
  8. Being Ethical in Decision-Making: Upholding ethical standards within professional capacities sets an example for others. Individual commitments to fairness and ethical conduct pave the way for broader cultural shifts towards fairness and integrity.


In forging the path toward fair compensation in education and research, the collaborative efforts outlined in this discourse paint a promising picture of equitable practices. The synergistic alliance between educators and researchers holds the potential to redefine traditional compensation structures, placing emphasis on collective value creation rather than individual profit.

By embracing profit-sharing models, transparent metrics, and diversified revenue streams, this alliance propels the vision of a fairer system where contributions are duly recognized and rewarded. Additionally, innovative approaches like tokenized systems, AI-driven recognition, and impact investment models pave the way for a transformative shift, championing fairness as the cornerstone of success.

As this alliance forges ahead, advocating, innovating, and engaging collectively, it lays the foundation for a future where educators and researchers receive not just wages, but acknowledgment and equitable rewards for their invaluable contributions to shaping the world’s knowledge and progress.

Let’s unite in this quest for equity, where collaboration isn’t just a buzzword but the cornerstone of a system that honors every contribution or even just participating

By emphasizing the collective nature of humanity and utilizing technology to foster fairness and transparency, we pave the way for a society that embodies the true essence of democracy — where individual freedoms flourish within a framework of collective well-being and equity.

  1. Empowerment Through Unity: Embracing a collective approach doesn’t diminish individual worth; instead, it amplifies individual voices within a unified chorus. By pooling efforts, talents, and insights, individuals contribute to a collective force that’s far more potent in shaping equitable systems.
  2. Transparency and Fairness: Modern technology offers unprecedented tools for ensuring transparency and fairness within systems. Blockchain, AI-driven analytics, and digital platforms enable real-time tracking and verification, reducing biases and ensuring equitable distribution.
  3. Democratization of Knowledge: Collaborative platforms empowered by technology democratize access to knowledge and resources. This enables broader participation, allowing diverse voices and perspectives to shape and benefit from collective endeavors.
  4. True Freedom Through Equality: A system built on fairness and collectivism fosters true freedom. When individuals aren’t bound by unequal structures, when each contribution is valued equitably, true freedom emerges—a freedom from systemic biases and a freedom to contribute without barriers.
  5. Enhancing Democratic Ideals: The shift from individualistic gains to collective well-being aligns with the foundational principles of democracy. It empowers individuals to actively participate in shaping systems that promote fairness, equality, and shared prosperity.
  6. Harnessing Technology for Equity: Modern technology isn’t just a tool for efficiency; it’s a catalyst for societal change. Leveraging these advancements ensures that systems are not only efficient but also fair and inclusive, thereby enhancing the very essence of democracy.
  7. A Harmonious Society: Collectivism aims to create a harmonious society where each individual feels valued and has a stake in shaping the collective future. It fosters an environment where collaboration thrives, leading to shared success and progress.

In a digital age ripe with possibility, let’s craft a legacy where fairness is woven into every code, every lesson, and every decision. Let’s forge ahead, not as isolated voices, but as a harmonious chorus, singing the anthem of fairness in every innovation and every endeavor.

Econimics & Marxist terminology

Cover article image: Fan Wennan , futuristc concept art of People’s Union of America 2098

Socio-economic formation is the way a society is organized, how it produces things, and shares them among people.

Социально-экономическая формация – это способ, которым общество организовано, как оно производит вещи и делится ими между людьми.

Friendship of peoples is a concept advanced by Marxist social class theory.
According to Marxism, nationalism is only a tool of the ruling class, used to keep the working class divided and thus easier to control and exploit. With the success of class struggle (i.e. the abolition of social classes), the natural brotherhood of all workers would make the idea of separate nations obsolete.

More Marxist terminology


The theory of five stages of socio-economic formation represents a concept describing the sequential development of human society through five primary stages: primitive communism, slavery, feudalism, capitalism, and socialism/communism (socialism as an intermediate stage towards hypothetical communism). Each stage is characterized by specific economic and social relations, a mode of production, and a system of resource ownership.

Теория пяти стадий общественно-экономической формации представляет собой концепцию, описывающую последовательное развитие человеческого общества через пять основных этапов: первобытнообщинный строй, рабовладение, феодализм, капитализм и социализм/коммунизм (социализм как промежуточный переход к гипотетическому коммунизму). Каждая стадия характеризуется определенными экономическими и социальными отношениями, способом организации производства и системой владения ресурсами.

  1. Строй – System, formation, build (literal translation)
  2. Первобытнообщинный строй – Primitive communal system
    Первобытный коммунизм – Primitive communism
  3. Рабовладельческий – Slave-owning
  4. Феодальный – Feudal
  5. Капиталистический – Capitalist
  6. Социалистический – Socialist
  7. Коммунистический – Communist

— Social being determines consciousness
— Общественной бытие определяет общественное сознание

The phrase “social being determines consciousness” refers to the idea that the material and social conditions in which individuals live shape or influence their thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives.

In Marxist theory, this concept reflects the notion that the socio-economic structures, relationships, and experiences within a society significantly impact how individuals perceive the world, form their ideas, and develop their consciousness. This means that the way people live and the societal structures around them play a crucial role in shaping their understanding, beliefs, and values.

Karl Marx

Unsorted vocabulary of some marxist and economics terms

  1. Марксистская теория исторического материализма Marxist theory of historical materialism
  2. Общественно-экономическая формация – Socio-economic formation
  3. Предпосылки для взлета (предусловия для развития) – Preconditions for take-off
  4. Взлет – Take-off
  5. Зрелость – Maturity
  6. Сознание – Consciousness
  7. Надстройка – Superstructure
  8. Эксплуатация – Exploitation
  9. Классовая борьба – Class struggle
  10. Пролетариат – Proletariat
  11. Когнитариат – Сognitariat
  12. Буржуазия – Bourgeoisie
  13. Способ производства – Mode of production
  14. Производительные силы – Means of production / Productive forces
  15. Принцип первоочередности производства – Primacy of production
  16. Антагонистические противоречия – Antagonistic contradictions
  17. Эпоха высокого потребления – High mass consumption
  18. Консьюмеризм – Сonsumerism
  19. Неравенство – Inequality
  20. Индустриальная революция – Industrial revolution
  21. Экспорт-ориентированная экономика – Export-oriented economy
  22. Теорией пяти стадий индустриализации – Five Stages of Industrialization Theory
  23. Экономическая эффективность – Economic efficiency
  24. Индивидуализация – Individualisation
  25. Коллективизация – Collectivization
  26. Конъюнктура рынка – Market trends
  27. Компромисс – Compromise
  28. Выгода – Benefit
  29. Справедливость – Justice, fair
  30. Большинство – Majority

Streaming” – трансляция/потоковая передача (обычно о видео или аудио контенте, передаваемом через интернет)
Broadcasting” – вещание/трансляция (обычно по радио или телевидению)
Influencing” – влияние/воздействие”